HealthyCanada.com

42-year-old Barb C. has been ill for most of her life. In addition to numerous medication and food allergies she has Marfan's Syndrome. At the age of 18 she discovered that she has a severe allergic reaction to IVP dye. During an extended hospital stay due to a bladder infection doctors discovered she had blood in her urine. They injected her with IVP dye to determine the source of her bleeding. An urologist discovered that when a catheter was removed days prior it ripped her urethra causing internal bleeding. He also discovered that she was allergic to IVP dye something which wasn't previously known.

"The urologist came as soon as the nurses called him" says Barb. "I remember my skin was slowly becoming covered with red blotches and the itching was unbearable. I remember being bathed immediately in some sort of solution and prescribed medication. The urologist also told me later never to have IVP dye used unless it truly is a life and death situation."

The following year Barb was visiting a relative in Germany when she fell ill and was hospitalized. While in the hospital she developed an unbearably painful kidney stone and found herself once again in the operating room.

Barb who was heavily sedated with painkillers didn't realize that doctors were going to inject her with IVP dye. A medical professional was able to read English and noticed Barb's MedicAlert bracelet read "ALLERGIC TO IVP DYE". The doctor determined this was not a life or death situation and the procedure was stopped immediately. Thankfully other alternatives were available.

The MedicAlert Foundation has scores of testimonials from people just like Barb who know first hand the importance of the MedicAlert program.

"In an emergency situation the right treatment at the right time can mean the difference between life and death" advises Kaarlyn Smith an emergency nurse working on the frontlines at one of Canada's busiest hospitals. "When time is critical the information of a MedicAlert record is a vital tool to help assess patients. They're often unconscious or so distressed that they forget to relay essential information. MedicAlert speaks for them."

Swift access to one's medical information is critical in determining the outcome of an emergency. From information about issues as widespread as allergies to the most complex of chronic conditions emergency health professionals look for vital clues to help fast-track diagnosis and treatment. In a national survey emergency physicians ranked these four pieces of medical information as most ·essential' in an emergency:

• Allergies to drugs
• Pre-existing medical conditions
• Medical warnings (egs. implants; ·no intubation')
• Current medications

If your medical information isn't accessible in an emergency situation you're more vulnerable than they think. At least one in five Canadians has a medical condition that doctors and others need to know about in a medical emergency.

While recovering from heart surgery for a prosthetic mitral valve implant Marion R. decided to become a MedicAlert member. Two weeks later while at choir practice she collapsed. "I just keeled over in a crowd of people" recalls Marion "I'm told I turned grey and when I tried to speak I made no sense whatsoever."

Though everyone around her did what they could to help it was the paramedics who knew to check for information on her MedicAlert bracelet and to call the 24-hour Emergency Hotline for additional details about her medical record. Having accessed all the vital facts they needed about Marion's valve implant and her medications the paramedics were able to administer prompt and appropriate treatment.

"Every year from across the country we receive over 150000 calls from our members related to their preparedness in an emergency or non-critical medical situation" says Shelagh Tippet-Fagyas President Canadian MedicAlert Foundation. The Foundation is Canada's largest member-based charity that protects Canadians with medical conditions and special needs.

"Canadians are taking more responsibility for managing their health for the sake of their families and for their own peace of mind" says Tippet-Fagyas.

MedicAlert provides a unique service - a portable emergency medical record service - that protects you 24 hours a day 7 days a week from anywhere in the world. Customized bracelets and necklets are linked to a MedicAlert Emergency Hotline which gives health professionals immediate access to a member's medical record.

"Behind every MedicAlert bracelet and necklet" explains Tippet-Fagyas "there is a full databank of critical emergency medical information accessible through the Hotline. We know that 75% of hotline calls are for medical information and 20% are for personal physician and emergency contact information. Health professionals have come to know and trust the services of MedicAlert to help support their patient care and expedite diagnosis and treatment."

Be prepared in a medical emergency:

• Keep all medical information in a consistent location which family members and caregivers know about.
• Be knowledgeable about your medical condition. Be aware of related symptoms in order to control emergencies to the extent that you can.
• Always carry your vital medical information preferably through medical identification with a link to a medical record and in your wallet or purse.
• Know your medications and the reasons you are taking them.

50-year-old Paul A. of  Newmarket found out the hard way that he had epilepsy in 1996. He's lucky to be alive and able to tell the tale.

"I took my first seizure behind the wheel of a car" he recalls. "It was totally out of the blue. I wrote off a car. Fortunately I didn't hit anybody. I crossed three lanes of traffic at rush hour and cleared a 20-foot ditch and nose-dived onto the other side. I hit the ground so hard I actually bent the car frame. I got out of the car and the only thing I had was a bruise from the seatbelt."

Paul decided right away to become a member of MedicAlert. First responders have made use of the information on his bracelet on more than one occasion.

"I've had nothing but good experiences with them" Paul says. "Anytime I've taken a seizure and I've come around before the paramedics have gotten there I do know that's the first thing they look for. They check for a bracelet or necklet. It absolutely gives me peace of mind."

Click here to join Medic Alert